What If
by Emilia Kingsley
Summary: Remember Severus Tobias Snape's promise of Veritserum in Harry James Potter's evening pumpkin juice? What if...he actually did it in 6th year? What would it reveal if Hermione accidently asked the right questions about his home life? AU 6th Year, CanonAP!
1. Prologue and Chapter 1

Prologue

What if…. Severus Tobias Snape had followed out his threat of administering Veritserum to Harry James Potter's evening pumpkin juice, albeit two years later than he issued it?

What if…. that night Harry James Potter was at dinner and Hermione Jane Granger, sitting to the left of Harry, starts her lecture about house elves and how they should be freed?

What if this spurred Harry James Potter to make a comment instead of "Err"?

What if this comment went something like "Well at least they enjoy the work"?

What if that was the moment where Harry James Potter took his first few large gulps of pumpkin juice at dinner that night and Hermione Jane Granger said immediately after "Would **you** enjoy the work if you were treated as a house elf?"

What if his answer was "I am a house elf Hermione, and no I don't enjoy it."?

What if…

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 1<span>

Hermione looked confused now. "What do you mean you're a house elf Harry?"

Harry, still under the influence of the Veritserum, said with a straight face "Because the Dursleys treat me as one."

"What?" Hermione exclaimed in disbelief.

"I cook, clean, maintain their home and if I don't do it adequately I am beaten." Here, Hermione gasped loud enough to capture the attention of Ron sitting next to her- gorging himself as usual.

"Huh?" He said intelligently in response to her gasp. When Hermione didn't respond to him he shrugged and went back to his food, thinking nothing was amiss.

"I do not punish myself for doing things wrong because the Dursleys do that themselves. "

Hermione wanted to ask more questions but she could see something was wrong. She thought to herself, "Harry has never talked about his home life this openly before. The way he abandoned his food and that blank stare…Veritserum!" The Great Hall was slowly emptying now and no one paid attention to her as she cast a revealing charm over Harry's food. A blue light hovered over the tainted pumpkin juice. Almost everyone had left the Great Hall, even Ron after he had grabbed some extra biscuits "for later," so the only people left was the staff sans Professor Snape and Professor Trelawney as per usual.

Dragging the drugged Harry to the Head Table with a worried look on her face, she stopped right in front of Headmaster Albus "Too Many Names" Dumbledore. He looked on sagely, with a bit of twinkle in his eyes.

"What brings you to the Heads' Table Miss Granger?" He asked as he popped a lemon drop in his mouth.

"Harry," She gasped, and then continued, "He's been drugged with Veritserum sir." She waved the goblet, sloshing the pumpkin juice inside it.

"Is that all Miss Granger, it is surely just a practical joke by perhaps the Weasley twins?"

"Sir," She exclaimed. "This was not a practical joke. He said things about his fami- I mean the Dursleys" Hermione amended. Those people were not a family to Harry.

"Is that not usual, to speak about your loved ones?" Dumbledore asked, peering over his glasses at Hermione.

"No, not at all sir. They are hardly mentioned and now I've heard why. They're absolutely horrid to Harry." She said, ranting but still trying to be respectful. "Ask Harry now, before the Veritserum wears off. Please sir."

"I will do no such thing Miss Granger. I do not believe what was in his pumpkin juice was at all Veritserum. It must have been the Weasley Twins doing, a joke potion to say less than polite things about that person's relatives when drunk." He said matter-of-factly.

Hermione stared gob smacked at him. This was the wisest wizard at Hogwarts. She then turned to Harry. "Harry is what you drank Veritserum?"

"Yes." He replied.

"You see? Why would the Twins-"

"Miss Granger, that is quite enough. Dinner is over and as such," He paused "we must go to bed. Good night Miss Granger."

Hermione watched as the man called Fawkes the Phoenix, who in fact gave Hermione an apologetic look that left her somewhat bewildered, and flamed out with Dumbledore.

By now, the Veritserum had completely worn off and gone was the dazed Harry. "I can't believe the bastard actually put truth serum in my freaking evening pumpkin juice. Two years he waited. Two years!" Harry ranted angrily.

"Harry." Hermione said forcefully. "Who? You mean that was true? There was Veritserum in your drink?" Harry was stopped cold. He forgot Hermione was there. Moreover, that she now knew about the Dursleys. Harry turned slowly to Hermione, opened his mouth and burst into tears at his secret, the one he kept for six years being revealed through one very illegal potion and unfortunate timed questions. Hermione was shocked at this- Harry never cried.

"Harry-," she started but cut herself off seeing the distraught boy collapse onto the floor of the Great Hall.

**(A/N): **_A good start? I'm not sure if I'm going to update this frequently or even continue. Not sure if this will have a pairing either. This is basically a writing exercise to get ready for NaNoWriMo in November, but more edited of course haha. _


	2. Chapter 2: Interlude and Apologies

Chapter 2

Hermione was at a loss for words. How could she help him? Harry does not cry. He just doesn't. He was collapsed in front of her sobbing though. She had to do something! Deciding, she stepped forward and slowly lowered herself next to Harry.

"Harry? Harry?" she asked, rubbing on his shoulder gently in a motherly way. The next five minutes were just of her rubbing Harry's shaking shoulders as he sobbed into the floor of the Great Hall. His breathing finally started to even out and became less hysterical. She tried again.

"Harry. Sit up please?" and he did, his glasses falling onto the floor from his face as he did so. Hermione picked them up and gave them to the sniffing Harry.

"I'm sorry." were the first words out of his mouth.

"Sorry for what? Your fam- the Dursleys," Hermione amended again, "are horrible people. Why are you sorry?"

"Nothing." Harry said, wiping his nose and putting on a normal face. He then got up and made as to leave the Great Hall.

"Oh no you don't Harry James Potter. We're talking. Now."

**(A/N):** Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry to all the people who reviewed (5! O.O) and all the people that put my story on story alert (16! WOW). I never ever expected anyone would actually like/read my story. That's partly because I only read long/complete stories myself (if I can help it). That is why I didn't check back in. I've been reading all these fanfictions for these past months and didn't even think to check my profile. All of my (**A/N)'s and responses **will be at the end of the chapters. Check there for responses to reviews!

I swear I'll start writing frequently. Kick me in the arse if I don't. (Also, I'm from Calfornia. Sorry. No extreme Brit language for me. Only what I've learned from other fics and friends.)

This was wayyyyy short but I didn't think Harry would open up so quickly and this was the place to end it. Sorry. I hope I have time to write soon. Maybe make this a weekly thing? I'll check for more reviews/answers/story whatevers everyday though! I promise.

**RESPONSES**:

**microwavable-butterflies:** I guess sorry for not "updating soon" haha. I'm not sure if they are going to get together but I've always seen Hermione as more of a substitute mother. She likes to mother Harry and Ron.

**Crazedreader, Hpfan224, and History:** My Snape is going to be a snarky bastard still haha. He may come to regret his actions though. I doubt he'll become a mentor or a father to Harry even after this incident. I hope to include a scene where Hermione totally chews his ass out about the Veritserum. You saw her with S.P.E.W., how bad do you think she's gonna get for Harry- her best friend?

**FireChildSlytherin5: **Snape seems like the type to keep his word of course. He's a patient bastard too. Must be a result of Occulding.

**loretta537**: Thank you for your kind review. I hope to discover where this story goes too hahaha.


End file.
